TMA!Jacobi and Jon

[mrballisticsdummy]

"Are you sure this is the place?" he asks the driver, who was already speeding off, leaving Jacobi in front of the old building.

"Thanks for your help!" he calls out with false cheer, rolling his eyes before trudging his way up to what he had been told was the Magnus Institute. He doesn't even flinch at the screech of tires that comes from blocks behind him. He doesn't have to see the car erupt into flames as a very confused driver crawls out and phones for help. That's chaos for someone else.

Instead, he takes the steps up, backpack on his shoulder. He had flown all the way out here, so it's not as if he's going to be missing any leads. Besides. He has an appointment.

The closer to the door he gets, the more uncomfortable he feels about this. It's like a whisper of wind against his skin, a suggestion of something dangerous, but Jacobi's never let something like that bother him. He walks through, hands in his pockets.

Comments

[questionsonly]

"I've got a whole dozen of 'em for you, sunshine," he says cheerfully before he gives Jacobi a nod and throws off a wave to Jon.

"We'll be back," he says cheerfully before sliding his arm around Jacobi's shoulders.

Jon looks up from giving Daisy a cup of that coffee and offers a warm, if tight, smile.

"We'll be here."

[mrballisticsdummy]

Jacobi glances once over his shoulder. "I'll bring your cup back!"

He takes a drink as they walk out, leaning heavily against him as a bit of that bravado goes out the window. The weight of the day, the decisions he made, what he went through, finally hits him full on.

"Where are you both staying?"

[questionsonly]

Jon just looks amused but his focus is on Daisy, rubbing at her back and trying to settle her somewhat now that she's out.

For his part, Warren waggles an eyebrow before he huffs a laugh.

"My London bolthole. As per usual. Not the main one, the side one."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"I'm assuming no one knows that you're here."

He takes a drink of his now spiked coffee.

"This is - a fucking lot," he breathes out.

[questionsonly]

"Hence the waiting to break it to you," he points out as he pushes a door open and a woman in a headscarf stares at him before immediately running past. He grins. "But given that you almost trapped yourself in the Buried for the eternity, I decided to move up our timeline."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"I would have gotten out eventually," he huffs, with absolutely no confidence. All bravado.

He glances back.

"I was here two days and I never saw another person. And now there are just people everywhere."

[questionsonly]

"You'd be the first person in recorded history to ever do it," he says cheerfully, "so congratulations on that."

He'll keep walking.

"She works there."

Because of course they got a full rundown on the staff before he stepped into the building.

"Former cop. The partner of the woman you pulled out, if I had to guess."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"Yeah, well, I'm not really much of a person."

He looks back again.

"A nice reunion, then. But I assumed she worked there, thanks."

He didn't case the place. He didn't do recon. He was deliberately sloppy because he just didn't give a shit. Now he has to actually start trying again.

Once outside, he blinks in the light of day.

[questionsonly]

"None of us are," he says brightly, "but even of 'non-people', that's true."

He'll walk him over to a car, one that you wouldn't at all think is anything but a common car on the street."

[mrballisticsdummy]

He gets in the car and finishes the rest of his coffee, closing his eyes for a moment. He still can't believe that he's just waltzing around with Kepler again, as if nothing happened, as if he hadn't been mourning him for months. And Maxwell, too.

He has a lot of explaining that he doesn't want to do.

"How long have you been in the city?"

[questionsonly]

"A couple of days," he admits, "as we took a bit longer to get heading towards earth. But? We came directly here. To you."

He'll start up the car.

"And by direct? I mean. Direct."

Jacobi will notice that this is not one of Warren's cars, doesn't look like one. It's just a car.

"Had to borrow this one from an old friend."

[mrballisticsdummy]

Jacobi puts a hand to his head. "You don't have friends," he mutters a little bitterly, but he doesn't mind the car at all. He's going somewhere. He's going to where they are. He's going to where his entire life is situated.

"How far out is it?" It's been a while since he's been to London.

[questionsonly]

"Given London traffic, it'll probably be about twenty minutes. It's in the city center.

"Maxwell insisted."

He rolls his eyes a little as he drives.

"Said the wifi at the other spot wasn't up to snuff for her needs."

And he never argues with her on that.

[mrballisticsdummy]

He huffs at that. "God forbid."

But he knows how this works and he also wouldn't argue with her. Maxwell has certain needs that he can only imagine have intensified since they came back.

He reaches over, delicately placing his hand on Warren's. "Didn't take you both long to get comfortable."

[questionsonly]

Warren's fingers will entwine with his as he goes. He can drive with one hand, one eye, and possibly less than that. Jacobi is well aware.

"We're not. Comfortable. We need you for that. We're just functional."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"Functional is better than what I was," he says softly. "What's the next move? Now that you have me?"

And after he takes a goddamn shower and changes clothes. He can still smell that dirt in his nose.

[questionsonly]

"More of what you started," he says honestly, "...namely? Destroy Goddard. With a minimum of destroying other people. But we're salting the earth. 100%. To dust."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"I have a list," he pipes up. "There's another place here I think we can hit before they start to catch on."

He squeezes his hand tightly. "I can't fucking believe this," he mutters, staring up at the roof of the car.

[questionsonly]

"I also have a list," he says with a slow, easy chuckle. "And I'll bet mine's a little longer than yours. But. it wouldn't hurt to check. And I definitely don't feel like doubling back."

He squeezes it back.

"Anything I need updating on with the Archivist there?" Because he hadn't expected the threat, as sexy as he'd found it.

[mrballisticsdummy]

He glances back, though they're quite a ways from the building now.

"I admittedly wasn't looking for info. But he does cook. And he's cute."

Said mostly to push a few buttons.

[questionsonly]

That's a snort. And a shake of his head. But there's a low level growl still rumbling in his chest.

"Don't. Not when he'd be... interesting to hunt."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"Off limits for so many reasons. The top of which is that I like him and I'm telling you not to. And if you do, I'll break all your shit."

He sits forward and lets go of his hand as the traffic seems to ease and they get closer. "Try and be nice. I will have to go back and check on him."

[questionsonly]

The growl maintains.

"I... won't."

Because he doesn't want to aggravate things with Jacobi. And because it's not part of his plans. It's also more trouble than he's worth. He's got enough reports on that Archivist. He's not meddling with that.

"Made a new friend?"

It's rare, but he knows what it means for Jacobi.

[mrballisticsdummy]

He doesn't even hesitate. "Yeah, I did. He saved what fucking life I have left." The allure of the knife is completely gone, but that doesn't erase the influence its potential effects had on him.

"Also, I just - like him." Which says more than he can actually put into words. He will do what he can to defend him, just as he would Maxwell and Kepler, and the last thing he wants is to come between the few people he cares about.

[questionsonly]

"Then we'll have his back," he says quietly as they pull into the parking garage. He glances over at Jacobi as he turns off the car.

"Especially since I owe him. I need that heart in your chest, sunshine. I intend to use it."